After an hour-long meeting with union home minister Rajnath Singh, Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti sounded optimistic and said that the situation in the state has improved a lot as violence has come down significantly.

The meeting between the two took place 3 days after the Central Government appointed former intelligence bureau director Dineshwar Sharma as its interlocutor for Jammu and Kashmir.

Mufti informed that her discussion with the home minister included the announcement of a special representative for Jammu and Kashmir, the security situation in the state and various development issues. “Situation in Jammu and Kashmir has improved as violence has come down a lot,” she added.

Reflecting on the Rs 80,000 crore package announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2015, she said – “Funds are getting released and many development works are going on. Works on AIIMS in the state is also going on”.

Apart from Mufti and Singh, senior officials from the home ministry as well the J&K Government were also the part of the meeting that lasted about an hour.

On 23 October, the Narendra Modi-led National Democratic Alliance government has announced the appointment of Dineshwar Sharma, former Director of Intelligence Bureau (IB), as interlocutor for Kashmir. Rajnath Singh stated that Sharma will initiate a sustained interaction and dialogue to understand legitimate aspirations of people in Jammu and Kashmir.